Smyrna times. [volume] (Smyrna, Del.) 1854-1987, 1887-10-05
THE RING BLOWING HABIT.
The Sad Spectacle of a Depraved Young
Smoker Ohsprved hv a I,ennrter

The Sad Spectacle of a Depraved Young
Smoker Observed by a Reporter.
They were sitting in the veranda Of the
pavilion at Staten Island, gazing dreamily
at the lights of the Brooklyn bridge be-
tween the mosquitoes and the wreaths of
their smoke when the elder of the twain
observed his companion blow ring of
cigarette smoke from his lips and watch
it float upward into the air with an ex-
preston of mingled contentment.
''FOOlish boy" he remarked pityingly.
'Why foolish doctor? What have
done nOw?"
"You are destroying all your pleasure
in smoking, if any who smokes cigarettes
can take pleasure in smoking"
'HOw so? I don't see that am taking
less pleasure than you are"
but you are,n returned the elder,
much less. Now warrant you didn't
see that pretty girl who passed by a mo-
ment ago, and as for that yacht with its
gay lights which just steamed down the
kill, it might as well have been a coal
barge for any pleasure you took out of the
sight"
What girl?" exclaimed the youth. II
didn't see any. Neither did ! see the
yacht. But" he continued pettishly, Il
can't be looking out for such things all
the time. Life is too short and pretty
girls and yachts too plenty"
True, but they were not put in this
world to be neglected, and you will CON
'inue to neglect such beautiful sights so
long as you persist i'll the useless and
permcious habit of blowing smoke into
those absurd rings"
Rings? What on earth do YOU meanY''
h.InGt what bo 90, - Al
you to curl your smoke into circles de-
stroys all the pleasure which tobacco gives
to the smoker. You Judge of the excel
lence of cigarette or a cigar by the num-
Der of rings it contains to the inch. Your
mind is upon the smoke, not upon the fra
GRANGE of the weed"
Il don't see it exactly in that light"
"Of course not The habit is a selfish
and lnsidiOus one. 1t grows upon its
victim 1mperceptibly. It makes one
mOrose and unsOciable. l have noticed
half q dozen times tonight that you were
paying no attention whatever to my re-
marks, watching those silly rings you are
pufing your manners away in. Not ONLY
nave You been inattentiye, but l have seen
you suddenly stop in the middle of a sen
tence and make frantic and unidentified
EFFORT to send q second ring through the
center OF one you have just blown as a
circus tImbler risks his neck to eclipse his
previous effort somersaulting. Then, too.
II you were not addicted to this foolish
habit you might smoke cigars and be nm
agreeable member of society. / have
noticed that most ringsters are devotees to
cigarettes simply from this sad craze.
Give 1t mp, my boy, and be a sensible man."
l-d0nt ~ know but-what-y YOU
replied the youth slowly, his
right cheek expanded to its limit with
smoke which he pulled forth in a series of
perfect circles.
I'm afraid you are beyond redemp-
ton, replied the elder, after a short
pause.
'Perhaps-yOu puff are-rieht." re-
piled the young man, absent mindedly. as
he watched the ring collide with a mus |
quito and scatter into fleecy clouds over
his head. "I'm tired; suppose we 20 to !
bed. New York Mail and Express,